linux sucks

Reason

I bought a ol machine( PIII 700Mhz+64MB SDRAM) initially intend to learn linux though I am not so linux newbie..on and off 1 year on linux.

I tied to install redhat9......it says not enough memory to install redhat

I tried installing suse9.....it says not enough memory to install yast.

Itried installing windows 2000 and happened to be installed on the fly

No... hell no.. that box was originally bought to install linux, Is there anyway to install or linux sucks !!

Is there anyway(options) to partition for swapfile while installing Linux distros?OR shall I partition using win2k with PMagic coz they really rock !!!

Try freebsd, i have a laptop with 32mb RAM and p1 with X(graphical enviroment) and freebsd 4.8 , or try slackware if you are deadset on linux. Both distos you picked are very big n bloated, you will also learn more with slackware/freebsd.

step off those nice GUI-installer linux distros, they will keep you pointing and clicking so you won't learn linux how you're supposed to be.

Try some commandline based distros like Gentoo, Slackware, *BSD, ... You will be able to partition very simple via fdisk for example. And you'll actually learn something.
I'd suggest Gentoo ( No not because its me ) but for its great forum and documents support. But thats just IMHO.

Go for the hard way ... it'll end up the easy way :D

SlackWare installs fine on boxes that are low on memory..

I have installed (slackware 9.0) on a P90 (yeah that's 90Mhz) with 32 MB (ram) and even had X working (not KDE though ;))
I'm still running (slackware 10) on a P2 300 with 64 MB..

So your box is more then suited to run a linux distro..
(it's just that the graphical installers of both SuSE and RedHat want some more mem to function)

SlackWare uses cfdisk for partitioning and allows you to add the swap partition before installing..

So it's not linux that sucks, it's YAST and that RedHat rpm install thingy that suck !!

On the other hand, mem comes cheap now, so adding another 64 might not be a bad idea anyway..

I'm with Shrek on this one [and no, not because I use Gentoo aswell :)]. But installing it and getting it to work helped me learn a lot more then RedHat would've managed. It's not all emerge world as some would think... I find it to be closer to a pure Linux distro than most others are.

And I find it rather immature of you rajunpl to say that Linux sucks just because you are having a hard time getting it to work. As it has been pointed out you're far from testing out all your options... I'm not sure what you want to use the computer for and what the sys.req.s for Desktop Enironments are, but you could stick to just a window manager if you want increased 'velocity'... like XFCE or FluxBox... but relax, you can definitely install lin on your box.

I find ppl in AO are great, thanks guys can anyone let me know where can i find BSD in UK I can't download coz my dsl is damn slow it might take 2 weeks can anyone advise me faster way.

lot lot lot of thanks

ops! forgot 1 thing. i have gentoo but it's live cd..how can i install it full hard disk??

I'm glad people got to this before me :) Seriously.

And all of the advice they've given you, from trying Slackware instead to even upgrading to 128 megs of RAM (THAT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR ANY OS), is wise advice that I would heed.

As for obtaining ISO files, even DSL is faster than 56k, so just download the files. It won't take you weeks, and if you use a download manager (http://********right.com) then you can download it huge files without worrying about being disconnected and having to start all over again. Get right will download the file for you, and if it is ever interrupted, it saves the parts it does have, and then you can start it right back where you left off.

http://www.linuxiso.org/ -- plethora of iso files. download to your hearts content


For your computer speed, any linux OS is going to run damn well. The only thing holding you back is your RAM. So, for your current configuration I recommend slackware or gentoo. Slackware is very lightweight and simple to work with (it won't hold your hand, so think of "simple" in terms of easy to comprehend) and gentoo is also lightweight. Both will help you learn alot about Linux and it's capabilities. However, I recommend starting with slackware before gentoo merely for the sake of getting your feet wet. After you have a few of the commands down and understand the basics of Linux, give gentoo a shot. Otherwise you will just be following an instruction manual for gentoo that you don't understand, and thus won't learn from.

When it comes to XWindows (your window manager, like gnome and so forth), I recommend either Fluxbox or XFCE4 for your file manager. Think of fluxbox as a trimmed-down-slimmed-down-minimalistic interface, and XFCE4 as a thinned and calorie free version of gnome. Both should run decent on that amount of RAM.

IF you have ANY questions about setup, installation, configuration, and general use of Linux don't ever hesitate to ask. We are more than willing to help people learn, but if you call anything "stupid" again just because you don't understand it, I'm going to have to pull out the katana :)

i downloaded 2 iso files for slackware 9 when i was on 56k and to download both of them .. prolly 1.1 gig all up it took 4 days downloading while i was at work and sleeping .. so it is not that long at all :) and it is worth it .. ... slackware is great :)

Declaring "linux sucks" because of the limitations of some third party's installer is unfair in the extreme.

First, Linux is a kernel not an OS. Secondly, if you're talking about the GNU/Linux tools and systems, no such 64mb memory exists. I have a 24mb machine running Linux, and I've run it with 4mb before now. Current kernels will boot on a 4mb x86 system provided they're built correctly (i.e. small enough).

You are jumping to conclusions.

Slarty

And if you've got a 700mhz computer and you are going to try to run it without a little more ram than 64mb you suck :) And I'm saying that in the nicest way possible. And I know that windows 2000 is probably running like crap with 64mb of ram.
Redhat 9 has a minimum of 64mb in text mode. If you can't figure out how to do it on your own post back and someone here can probably help you.
http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...ase-notes/x86/

muerto,First I hate links and those links which are like books to read. I ask question on AO so that ppl here will explain me LOL no offence.

Anyway poo s tzu had just been great help to me. I will try on downloading thru DMngr as you recommend.

Slarty you are just trying to be smart on your best way while you are unable to help me living in england. You should be grat though running linux like that. 1 day I might be like that LOL

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Slarty you are just trying to be smart on your best way while you are unable to help me living in england. You should be grat though running linux like that. 1 day I might be like that LOL

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rajunpl, be carefull what you say there, slarty is one of the most knowledgeable people i've ever seen. Certainly on linux.

Quote:

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Originally posted here by rajunpl
muerto,First I hate links and those links which are like books to read. I ask question on AO so that ppl here will explain me LOL no offence.

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I say, read the links, we've all had to do it at one point or another. After you've read it and you still have questions don't hasitate to ask them. But DON'T ask people to do the thinking for you!

In short: RTFM. It's what it's there for.

hehe I like that link sir dice. You may be right, and slarty may be much knowledgeable person, which i am not aware I assume there are so many intelligent geeks here and I have had many helps. My idea was just i don't like reading long manual. Dunno why I just don't like. I have been okay on my study and job still. However thanks for the help.

Now best thing I will do is start downloading BSD which I really wanted and had no idea..i have to find my way and now linux mission is going to be BSD suddenly. I dunno why I want to get rid ol window.

Since your to lazy to read something a few lines down...

Quote:

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Memory:
-Minimum for text-mode: 64MB
-Minimum for graphical: 128MB
-Recommended for graphical: 196MB

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I was just pointing out the minimum requirements for a graphical install.
If you're to lazy to read stay on windows. It will set everything up for you. But even if you don't read it still won't be secure and thats the same with linux and windows. If you don't like reading I'll PM you my address and you can mail me your computers and you'll be a lot happier watching TV.

hey common I am not as lazy as you think..I read the tutorial on this forum even if it takes like hour I don't wanna go beyond that R'ingTFM as the abbrv. already sucks more than anything. Thanks for that info though, never knew that. glad that getting help at every stage. Hehe anyway That box was for linux and i installed window to see if that box actually works and it's all good.

true i am getting slow in linux coz RTFM annoys me. I am just good at connecting LOL i connect the network nomatter how but i just know that only, and i am saying this for linux. rest I dunno anyhting starting from sound to anyother thing.

I think i should be going get thru as time go along. :) But linux is not easy and good as windows comparing it's popularity. It's just popular coz it's free.

a thought.

Since your question has already been answered I won't jump in and say how your question was way off base, and how you might want to elarn about something before you decide that it is BS.

I will however say, you might want to stick with a Bootable ISo right now. I am seeing that you don't really want to put the effort into learning LInux. This isn't your Windows Xp. Unless your running RH, or SUSE. Your really not going to be hand held.

It's funny that Shrekkie should talk about how helpful forums are to people that need help. The first thing most forums, (Except this one, for some god awful unknown reason.) do is ask have you read that manual have you looked through it. They don't care if you don't understand it. They want to know if you looked at it. The reason is, why am I going to give you all the answers that I had to search for hours for, all the answers that I had to read for. That and you don't learn anything if someone just tells you the answer.

When you read the manual, you aren't doing anything for the people that are helping you. You are doing something for yourself. You are saying I really do want to learn this, I am really going to put sometime into this. You are saying that I am going to give a damn about what I learn, and not take my knowledge from someone spoon feeding me.

I personally think that people, that don't want to go ahead and read, shouldn't even bother.

So I come back to my origional point. If you are just going to play with Linux. Go get a copy of PHLAK http://www.phlak.org/

or Knoppix http://www.knoppix.org/

Play with those until you decide that you really want to learn, once you decide that you really want to learn, and you have actually looked at the manual. Come back, and I for one will be waiting to help you, until then.


I have nothing else to say to you.

hmm.. when i was reading the gore's tutorial i thought suse was the best and went into it. Now things comes like phlak and knoppix. Why not redhat which has such an easy interface, and i thnk they are the most popular. Why you guys keep on pressing on R'ing TFM. and worse and why linux sucks is they have got differnet manual on each distros. I can't be happy coz i am perfect in redhat(for examle,which ia m not) then I will not know anything about gentoo. Whereas this will not happen to windows.

I was all year playing with RHand suse w/o r'ingTFM. Now I am i am/have to learn linux coz i am in networking and going to be grad on networking. Life would b much easier if there would b similarities on linux, why on earth suse has yast loader and RH has anaconda just to make ppl confuse.

Anyway, i will try phlak and slackware.

ONE QUESTION?

What linux distro is used on pure commercial networking world?

The thing that most people forget, particularly if they come from a Windows background, is that they have learned a lot of it as they go and already know a fair amount. That said, learning linux is not that much different except that you have to realize that it does come from a different background. Add to that the fact that Windows has a single source (Microsoft -- at least the last time I checked there wasn't other distributors of this platform) while Linux comes from a variety of manufacturers who want to highlight what they believe is critical for Linux.

Is one better than the other? Not really. Find a distro and use it. Get to know it. They each have their quirks and such. Remember that as a "grandchild" -- if you will -- of the unix OS, it has the same "faults" (or benefits, depending on your point of view): each tool was built with the tool in mind, not necessarily with the OS in mind. To take it to an extreme view:

• On the far spectrum, you have Mac OS with Mac Hardware <-- single hardware and OS manufacturer, often means fewer compatibility issues and theoretically, fewer crash issues. Straight forward install,
  
  In the middle you have Windows <-- single OS manufacturer although varying OS degrees, multiple hardware options: the advent of signed drivers should help, theoretically reduce hardware conflicts and increase compatilibity. Mostly straighforward install (I have seem some weirdness with DVD-Roms at my college)
  
  At the other extreme is Linux/*nix <--- multiple OS manufacturers with varying OS degrees, multiple hardware options, multiple driver/software/app developers: can mean the need to tweak some drivers to make the distro more compatible and less buggy. Has the advantage of multiple paths to finding solutions, compared to single source solutions from single OS manufacturers (ie., Apple for Mac OS and Microsoft for Windows)

As for the most common Linux in commercial world, I'd say that RH is still on top (even with their recent Fedora project) but Suse has the backing of a major player to put them on top (ie., Novell).

The last thing I want to suggest is don't be part of the Windows Generation. The Windows Generation is the present generation that is inclined to only point and click but not truly understand what's going on. Don't be afraid of a little reading. It won't hurt and you'd be surprised how much you can learn. ;)

rajunpl...............

A PIII/700Mhz is a nice test box, be a good chap and put some more memory in it whilst it is still cheap. I recommend you try the Crucial site, they give just about the best deal in the UK.

I have a PIII/533 and the first thing I did was put 512Mb of RAM in it. My point is the better the spec you get your test machine up to the more things you can reasonably try out.

Only if you have several machines do you really want some low spec ones, and that is only for stress/performance testing before rolling out into a production environment. Or possibly to build a router.

Cheers

As for installing Gentoo from the LiveCD you might want to look into the docs/install/txt/handbook.txt [or something like that] on the CD to get a kickstart and see what's the best type of install for oyu. On your computer, with those specs, I would definitely go for a Stage 1 install... just make sure you follow the installation instructions so you don't have to rebuild your system every week... I will warn you that a stage 1 install will take about a week until you'll be completely satisfied with it, although KDE alone took me [on a [email protected] machine] about 2 days, so if you use something light-weight like Flux or XFCE4 would compile much faster. On the upside you'll have a very efficient system on your given specs. Don't listen to what many say that Gentoo is so hard to install and you'll never get a Stage 1 done right the first time... Just make sure you know the hardware in the computer really well.

First thing's first, make sure you get your Internet working off the LiveCD [if it isn't automatically detected] and start up irssi, go to irc.freenode.net > #gentoo to get help... don't ask every little step, most of them are documented in the install file I told you about. Also I recommend building the system using portage with an active internet connection so you don't have to rebuild many things again when you update world.

This is just in case you want to try out Gentoo... My progression with Linux was RedHat 9, Slackware 9.1, PHLAK 0.2 [hd install], Knoppix-STD 0.1 [hd install], Slackware 10 then Gentoo. I think you can do a lot with Slack in terms of learning, it has helped me a lot.

Remember you want to learn GNU/Linux, not use it right away. So don't get very frustrated if you run into various problems... that's the learning curve you should expect, sometimes hardware not working, problems installing various programs [although Gentoo's portage has a marvelous dependency-calculating system] and so on. Those are expected and you'll avoid those problems as you advance in learning Linux. Don't give up at the first sign of trouble... that's what makes all the difference.